New Limpopo Premier lies about business interests: Urgent ethics probe by PP needed

Reports in the Star newspaper indicate that the new premier of Limpopo, Mr. Stanley Mathabatha lied about his business interests. This does not augur well for a province which seeks to rid itself of corruption.

If there is any substance in these reports, then clearly Mr. Mathabatha is not the right person to be heading our provincial administration. His predecessor Mr. Cassel Mathale left this province blighted with corruption, real or perceived.

According to these reports, Mr. Mathabatha has been a director of an insurance company since 2007 but when he was probed about this, he denied any involvement in private business pursuit.

This goes to the very core of oath of office, Mr. Mathabatha undertook when he assumed the office of premiership. It needs to be urgently established whether when he took office, he did declare all his business interests as required by the law.

Further, whether as a director of this insurance company, was he receiving any remuneration. If he did receive any remuneration he then cannot claim ignorance of his directorship.

This is clearly a matter which requires an urgent ethics investigation by the Office of the Public Protector.

The DA will be writing to the Public Protector to ask it to initiate an urgent investigation into this matter.